Cut Like A Rose
by MeganePurinko
Summary: YakuzaAU/AkaDore Fairy tales aren't a thing and just because a guy's good-looking, that doesn't mean he's actually good. Even if he did have a sense of misplaced politeness from time to time. Regardless! It's not like the movies and it'll take a lot more than spunk for Doremi to survive being wrapped up in a crime syndicate due to said misplaced politeness. Pray for her, world.


Oh wow, this is new: an outright AU shipping fic in the Ojamajo Doremi section and it's written by me. It's probably not going to be like any of the other fics... I think. I've gotten cynical over the years and this happens. Idea came from the fact that I honestly thought Akatsuki was a delinquent when I first saw him due to his fashion sense. So what if.

**Forewarning:** This is a yakuza—also known as ninkyō dantai, which means _chivalrous organization_ if Wikipedia knows anything—AU that is very much AkaDore. Not right now, obviously. Aside from the would-be romance, there is a lot of snark especially in this opening chapter.

**Actual warnings:** Violence, sexual themes, _mild _language bleh, OOC characterization that is to be expected due to the setting, and twisted morals. This fic will not portray criminal organizations and whatever it is they do accurately, I am sure, and most of my would-be research comes from Wikipedia. Even then, this mostly came from my own head. This fic is more of test-run seeing as I haven't been writing OD lately and wanted to see...

Criticism is welcome.

**Disclaimer: Hahaha... No.**

* * *

The whole damn affair started with roses.

"Excuse me, I'd like a dozen of these," was the order she heard just as she had knelt down to tend to some of the peach blossoms. Harukaze sighed at first before forcing a smile and standing up to face her client. "I'm in a bit of a hurry so can you come over here quickly already?"

"Of course," she responded as she came forward. The client looked rather odd from a far-off glance but handsome in a mysterious stranger sort of way; wearing a form-fitting cut suit and a fedora that he had pulled down to further obscure a stare that was already half-hidden by dark purple strands. He was bronze-skinned too and that was an odd sight in itself in a peaceful place like Misora.

Not that the occasional kogal didn't exist, but Harukaze herself had never seen a tanned male before.

_Maybe it was natural? Could be a foreigner._

"Are you paying attention?" came the annoyed honeyed voice. She snapped up to see he was now grimacing as he jutted his thumb urgently to the blood-red roses he had been standing by for a good while. "Stop daydreaming, miss, and pick these up for me,"

_I guess his manners just ran dry..._ Harukaze thought bitterly before laughing a bit uneasily and gathering the flowers for him. "I'll be done with these in a quick moment, sir, so please be patient..."

Despite him nodding distantly, the stranger still seemed a bit fidgety with how much he pulled at his sleeve, tapped his foot, and stared at the clock with a groan.

She didn't want to keep him waiting. Business was business.

"Here you are, sir," Harukaze stated proudly as she presented him with the roses. "Now, about the bill..."

He paid her, his mind still elsewhere and Harukaze quickly beamed.

"Please come again."

"Thank you..." Then the client stared at her and the florist was suddenly floored by hypnotizing, _rich_ pools of violet meeting her own wide purple eyes as he smiled a bit anxiously, looking positively...

_G-Gorgeous!_

"Doremi-san," he finished, nodding at her nametag and seemingly unaware of how Doremi inelegantly sputtered and stammered with a red face. "It was a pleasure doing business with you. My name is Shidoosha, and I hope to meet you again."

And with that, Shidoosha left Doremi there in the flower shop, features dying a darker shade than the color of her hair and heartbeat going at a mile per minute.

She didn't have another customer for the rest of her shift so she just stood there in shock until then.

_I may have met the most beautiful man to have even been born and graced to this green earth..._ Doremi finally acknowledged when the effect of their fated meeting wore off. _I'm screwed._

That she was.

* * *

It was cemented by the fact that when she told her two most invaluable friends about it, the responses she got were Hazuki smiling at her with that exasperated and pitying _'Oh Doremi, again, this is what, the fifth guy this month'_ smileand Aiko laughing her ass off.

"S-Seriously?! This is what, the fifth guy this month?!" Senoo snickered as Doremi felt every ounce of happiness in her die slowly and painfully. "Doremi, Doremi, when will you _learn_?"

"Remember Nobuo?" Hazuki offered as a pitiful olive branch that Doremi wanted to set fire to. "You have to stop this search, Doremi-chan..."

"We don't talk about Nobuo, Hazuki. I'm pretty sure the general consensus is that _we forget Nobuo ever existed_. I'm sorry, _who _are you talking about?"

Her smile was so stretched and forced now it felt like needles were being stabbed into her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," the brunette murmured meekly with a polite bow of her head. "But I'm only trying to help you, Doremi... You're always going after these boys that cause you nothing but trouble and it's hardening you and making you bitter... I hate to see that done to my easygoing, carefree best friend..."

"Too late," Aiko whistled as Doremi shot her a glare that would have had her decimated in a second if looks could kill. "Doremi, as much as I love ya... You gotta admit that you've become quite jaded, don't ya think? And you wonder why we worry about you going out and still trying to find The Guy..."

"Girls, it's not like I think he's the one or anything... It's just that..."

"'_Shidoosha is the most striking human being on the planet and oh my God, can you believe he actually bought roses from me, squee'_." Hazuki mimicked her with a tired smile as she adjusted her glasses. "We heard you the first time."

"Exactly! I was just making a casual observation..."

"I remember when Shuuzou was a casual observation..."

"Aiko, do you hate me or something?!"

"Of course not!" Aiko snapped at her, dropping all joking and suddenly dead serious. "I just don't understand why you don't see how stupid you're being? Why can't ya just swear off men already and save yourself the heartbreak, Doremi? I mean, there's only so many times I'll answer my phone in the middle of the night to listen to you sob about how it didn't work out!"

Doremi fell silent at that, gaze averting to the corner of the room as the blunette sighed and placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "Look, honey, I adore you. I really do. That's why I can't stand to see you build up this guy who's just going to ditch you, stand you up, or worse, try to build you up in his harem..."

"I thought we wouldn't bring that up, Ai-chan..."

"I'm just saying!" Senoo immediately defended with a groan. "It just ain't worth the effort and at this rate; it's not even going to be funny anymore in hindsight..."

"We only want what's best for you..." Hazuki continued as she gripped Doremi's hands. "We don't want you hurt, Doremi-chan. Not even a little bit."

"I know, I know..." Doremi smiled at them both and it was weary, obviously beaten down from either age or experience. "But I'm an adult now so cut me a little slack? It's kind of annoying being treated like a clumsy child, you know?"

Her two friends smiled at that and shook their heads.

"No chance in hell."

* * *

Okay, so maybe Harukaze Doremi had a few off experiences with men.

...or s_everal_...

...or _awful_...

_Regardless!_ It didn't take an expert to deduce that she was already attracted to the mysterious Shidoosha with whom she had shared maybe half a dozen sentences with and had known for all of three or four minutes.

And she didn't even know his first name. _DAMMIT._

_Regardless!_ She was engrossed and that was nothing new. In fact, it was a perfectly healthy infatuation that likely wouldn't go anywhere and chances were, Shidoosha would never cross paths with her again and she'd be able to put the whole meeting in the back of her mind to gleefully collect dust and rot like the warning it was.

Oh how she _wished_.

* * *

The whole damn affair continued with newspapers.

"Another murder! The yakuza's really getting out of control, huh? Those delinquents need to be put down if they continue to act like animals..."

"Don't say things like that out loud! You never know if they're listening in..."

"What is the world coming to?" Doremi wondered as she plucked a paper from the stack and read. On cover was a rather gruesome image of the remains that made her wince. Why was the media so sadistic nowadays? Did no one worry about the children?

Reading the headline intensely, the redhead didn't even notice someone behind her until she felt a hot breath in her ear, "Amateurs."

Doremi nearly had a heart attack and spun around in shock, gaping and balking at the guy only for her expression and mind to immediately go blank at the sight of a rather irritated Shidoosha.

Shidoosha, who instantly smiled like a goddamn _fairy tale prince_, which caused her to blissfully forget all about that one snide comment and instead insist on making her heart pound. _Lovely_.

"Oh, hey, I know you... Doremi-san from the flower shop..."

"U-Uh, yeah, that's me..." Truly, her class and elegance would make for a sophisticated romance of the ages. "S-Shidoosha-san, it's uh, nice to see you again..."

_Truly._

He grinned a bit wryly and Doremi noticed he was still wearing that odd conspicuous wear he had on at the store. She, meanwhile, had her buns done into an ugly messy ponytail that probably warded off suitors.

_Great..._ she thought to herself as her smile faltered. _We haven't even shared this second moment yet and already I'm tearing myself down..._

"So what brings you to Misora?"

"Business." The answer was sharp and short and for some reason, Doremi felt a shiver go down her spine at that as Shidoosha pulled down his fedora to block the sun from his eyes. "Actually, I'm in a hurry, so it was nice speaking to you..."

"Yes, of course," Doremi replied demurely as Shidoosha gave her a simple nod and smile before pushing right past her. She glanced after his receding figure for a moment before looking down, noticing that in his haste, the male had dropped something.

Eyes crinkling in confusion, Harukaze knelt down and plucked the folded piece of paper and read.

_Akatsuki, their dealings are done here._

At the bottom was a scribbled address that the redhead recognized vaguely and that she somehow found important.

Shidoosha probably needed this.

"W-Wait!" she gasped as she sprinted after the guy who had almost fully disappeared in the crowd.

The whole damn affair was sealed with a piece of paper and an address.

* * *

She nearly lost him after the first block and to be honest, she was close to dying since she never really ran like this before. And it was chasing after some guy. _Huh._

"Shidoosha-san!" Doremi called again as her voice was swallowed by the murmurs of the wind and she was really taken off guard by the sudden gust of air. Vaguely, she recalled the weather channel had predicted a twenty percent chance of storm. Shidoosha chose that moment to cut through an alleyway, making her pause and slow to a walk.

_Uh... Doesn't he know that's dangerous? Then again, he is a guy... Guys tend to be reckless..._

Ignoring that she, a young woman, would make the same reckless mistake even _with_ that tidbit of common sense.

Doremi looked about and down the alley hesitantly before perking up at seeing Shidoosha disappear behind yet another corner. Harukaze seethed at how easily the young male seemed to weave through buildings as well as crowds before making up her mind and following after him.

It was a rather narrow path so she kept her elbows close to her torso as her already dirty cheap shoes slammed into the dirty concrete. Doremi steered her gaze away from any spiders creeping along the walls and quietly sighed as she arrived at the same sharp turn Shidoosha had taken.

She wouldn't falter now, despite how malicious and terrifying the atmosphere seemed to get with every step. In the back of her mind, she could already hear Aiko cursing her and calling her an idiot. She sure felt like one, anyway.

Doremi did, however, have the dignity to feel shame when she calmed down a bit at hearing Shidoosha's voice, velvety and sweet, flood out and resonate in her ears.

"Greetings."

"Shidoosha Akatsuki."

_Akatsuki? So the name on the paper really is his..._ Doremi mused before peering by the wall and seeing Shidoosha facing another man she didn't recognize. She couldn't see his face, but she did notice he was tense with his arms crossed. Blood rushed to her face as she flushed and cowered behind the stone, second guessing returning the piece of paper now when Akatsuki seemed to be in the middle of _important _business.

"Look, I know I've been late..." the man she didn't know was sweating, rubbing nervously at the back of his neck as his other arm crossed against his stomach tightly and wobbly. Narrow violets that Doremi couldn't see seemed to grow colder and the man was close to panicking. "I just, there were these other guys..."

"You've wasted my father's time and money. I don't take that lightly."

The unknown man perked up and Harukaze saw his gaze had darkened as he reached into his jacket. "I was afraid of that... But I regret that this will be our last conversation, Akatsuki-kun."

Doremi muffled a scream when she saw the flash of silver and immediately recognized it as a gun and her heartbeat raced with instant fear and terror as her arms wrapped around herself and...

The shot rang out loud and sharp, nearly shattering her ears as her eyes twisted shut and her teeth ground together. She heard someone fall, hit the concrete with a sickening _thump_, and then a low chuckle that she knew.

Akatsuki.

"Amateur," he made a 'tsk' sound as her eyes fluttered open and she saw him approach the body, aiming the smoking gun at the fallen man's head and shooting again. Blood pooled and she felt sick and nearly let out a choked sob. She slammed her hands over her mouth to muffle the sound but she still heard a soft, traitorous whine.

Shidoosha also heard and automatically, the gun was pointed at her without him even having to turn.

"Miss, I don't appreciate those who eavesdrop. If you run, I'll have to warn you I'm a good shot. Come here."

Doremi tearfully obeyed and stumbled up to the murderer with tears welling up in her eyes as she sniffled and casted fleeting thoughts towards her friends and family just in case these were her last moments.

"I-I..."

Akatsuki turned towards her, gaze lighting up with slight surprise and recognition. "Oh. Doremi-san."

"H-Hi, Shidoosha-san..." she greeted weakly and fearfully as she crossed her arms to make herself appear even smaller in the face of his stare and weapon, blatantly ignoring the body as she held out the damning note. "Y-You dropped something..."

He took the paper from her trembling hands and glanced at it and then her, expression melting from his face until it was utterly blank and unreadable. Doremi's gaze dropped as she rubbed at her bare arms, feeling the goose bumps rise from her skin. "Excuse me... I-I just..."

_I'm going to die... I'm actually going to die... Sorry, Aiko, Hazuki..._

Her thoughts halted when she felt cold metal press to her temple and her eyes screwed shut. Akatsuki, out of misplaced politeness perhaps, leaned forward, warm lips and cool breath tickling her sensitive ear as he spoke, "You really are scared, aren't you, Doremi-san? So sure I'll pull the trigger just like any murderer, right? Then again, you shouldn't have involved yourself with a stranger..."

"I-I..." She was starting to sound pathetic and had to hold back a whimper. "I-I wanted to help... I-I didn't mean to..."

The gun was jammed harder against her skull, causing her to yelp and flinch when she heard the weapon click. She was sweating and crying and the sadist seemed to almost enjoy it.

Akatsuki, however, didn't pull the trigger.

Doremi, though, didn't want to speak anymore and shut her eyes, shoulders slumping. Waiting for the inevitable.

Then she heard Shidoosha curse and pull the gun away with a sigh. "You're too pathetic, Doremi-san."

Despite everything, Harukaze was sure her eye twitched. There was a shift, and Akatsuki had put the gun into its holder concealed within his coat. He took off his fedora, running irritated fingers through his purple hair before making the decision that sealed her fate.

"Relax Doremi-san, I'm not going to kill you."

Doremi's eyes instantly shot open wide and she jerked, stiffly erect as Akatsuki turned back to her with a look of reluctance, flipping the fedora onto his head with too much grace. "Thank you for returning this to me." He held out that piece of paper and folded it, pushing it into his front pocket. "I'm really grateful."

"You're...welcome?" Doremi replied helplessly with a shrug. She wasn't entirely sure how to react now, though still on edge because hell, he still had a gun that could blow her head off. But Akatsuki, the murdering _jerk_, seemed to find humor in her confusion and chuckled way too innocently for a guy who killed. Then again, Doremi blushed too much for that guy _who_ killed. "S-So I'll be..."

"This is dangerous territory, Doremi-san." _Gee, you think?_ That body was growing cold and stiff. "I'll escort you back."

"What about...?" Doremi pointed to the corpse, flinching again when she saw the blood hardening. Akatsuki spun her around, ushering her away from the sight. "A-Are you...? A yakuza?"

"I prefer _ninkyō dantai_. You're quite slow, aren't you?" Akatsuki asked as he pushed her a bit too hard, earning a yelp of protest as Doremi glared at him like an undoubtedly frightened child. "We don't do the cleanup work, Doremi-san, that's for the police."

_Cleanup work's for the police._ Like the whole thing was a _game_, for kami's sake.

_No one could screw up like this. No one. No one except _me_._

"I apologize," her response was still careful and cautious. Akatsuki's smile was wry. "I'm a bit unaware of how the yakuza actually works."

"_Ninkyō dantai._ You learn in time." He laughed, like the whole thing was a game. Doremi felt like the rat in cat and mouse. But at least she wasn't dead. At least. "I trust you won't say anything to the police, won't you, Doremi-_chan_?"

_**You're a sadist, Shidoosha Akatsuki.**_

"I...won't." She hesitated, heart seizing up for the moment Akatsuki took to tuck one of her unruly red locks behind her ear. _Misplaced politeness,_ she reminded herself. _Don't you dare drop your guard now, Harukaze. You just saw someone die._

_...I just saw someone die..._

"Oh, this looks like a safe route," Akatsuki stated, guiding Doremi into the now open street. Doremi nodded mutely and shakily pointed in the direction of her house. No one else was in sight and that only made things worse as Shidoosha took her directions casually, as if he were some boyfriend escorting her home instead of a criminal threatening her life. "I'll have to keep an eye on you, Doremi-san. Just business, you see."

"I...see." Doremi perked up as she saw her familiar home, with the Harukaze sign rickety and dusty. "Oh, this is it."

"A nice place for one so young." Shidoosha hummed with approval before backing away. "Well, Doremi-san, I'll see you later."

Doremi didn't move as he made his way, disappearing into the darkness of the night. It never occurred to Doremi had late it had gotten, but she numbly stumbled onto the first steps of her house and precariously opened the door.

"I-I'm home..." she shakily called out to the emptiness before closing the door and slumping to the floor.

Then Doremi let the tears fall._  
_


End file.
